Dr. Oluwafemi Rotifa, a resident doctor at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, has died after reportedly working an exhausting 72-hour non-stop shift in the hospital’s emergency unit.
Fondly called Femoski by colleagues, Rotifa reportedly slumped in the call room after three consecutive days on duty and was rushed to the ICU, where all efforts to revive him failed. He was a former President of the Port Harcourt University Medical Students’ Association and had recently been registered with the UK General Medical Council, preparing to relocate abroad.
Confirming the incident, the President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr. Tope Osundara, described Rotifa’s death as “preventable,” blaming it on chronic manpower shortages and systemic neglect.
“He was the only doctor on duty in the emergency room for 72 hours. The overuse of manpower and exhaustion killed him,” Osundara said.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) also condemned the tragedy. Its Vice President, Dr. Benjamin Olowojebutu, called it “heartbreaking and unacceptable,” stressing the urgent need for improved welfare, regulated working hours, and better staffing across hospitals.
Nigeria currently has a doctor-to-patient ratio of 1:10,000, far worse than the World Health Organisation’s recommended 1:600. Rotifa’s death has since sparked outrage and tributes on social media, with colleagues mourning him as a diligent and passionate doctor whose life was cut short by a failing system.
